Mission & History

Stiletto Boss University (SBU) is a youth training program for high-school girls, that uses entrepreneurship as the foundation for teaching the power of collaboration, sisterhood and community impact. Through SBU, young women are building the skills and the confidence needed to create a social enterprise that is able to generate income while also giving back to the community.

Our program is an entrepreneurship series promoting education and practical application to female high school students culminating into a final showcase with a chance to win internships. The pilot program began at the start of the 2015 – 2016 school year at Harding University High School in partnership with MeckEd’s Career Pathways program.

As we moved into our 2nd year, we enhanced and implemented the program within the Grier Heights Community in partnership with Crossroads Corporation. Our goal is to teach young ladies how to create one business that will promote sustainability and unity within the community.

Currently, the SBU program has expanded back into the school system with the help of Communities In School (CIS). Community In School connects students to impactful workplace learning opportunities, fostering career exploration, while also connecting the dots to the real-world application of education and the workplace.

It has been extremely important to teach each young lady who participates in the program, understand the power of collaboration and SISTERHOOD. We received our 501c3 status on May 2017. We are committed to expand our program to 10 total chapters by 2021.

Jania Massey

SBU Executive Director

Meet our Stiletto Boss University Director and Creator, Jania Massey.
To learn more about Jania’s professional career click the link below.

Jania’s passion for creating programs & systems to advance connections within the community began during her early childhood. After moving to Charlotte at the age 6, her mother instilled in her the principles of giving back and community impact. As a high school student, in the Charlotte Mecklenburg School system, Jania became a participant of Johnson C Smith University’s Upward Bound program. Upward Bound provides fundamental support to participants in their preparation for college entrance. It was this program that first exposed her to the possibility of opportunity and the concept of social capital.

A whole new world began to unfold. Jania was able to experience places and Universities outside of North Carolina. She began traveling, developing soft skills and expanding her resources. These new opportunities gave her the confidence to become a leader at her high school. Serving as Senior Class President, earning her induction into The National Honor Society and rising to the top percentile of her class. After receiving several scholarship offers, Jania went on to get her Bachelors in Science from Winston Salem University.

Even with her many accolades, Jania’s lack of social capital became apparent when she began to transition from Corporate America to the very different world of Non-Profit Organizations. Her hard work, dedication, and integrity were evident in the work Jania did in the community, but something was missing. Her network and therefore impact was limited. Realizing that this key part of social capital, a strong network, was the limiting factor in creating the kind of impact she envisioned, the solution became clear. People needed to be prepared for opportunity by first providing them with an understanding of what social capital is, what it can do for you and how to develop it! This realization along with her passion for community impact was the foundation for Stiletto Boss University.